2023 Toyota Corolla is a mix of inviting qualities

The 2023 Toyota Corolla compact car is an inviting mix of affordable pricing, excellent fuel economy, attractive styling, and enjoyable driving. It offers a diverse selection of models including sedans, hatchbacks, hybrids and nonhybrids.

The eight models on offer are a sedan in trim levels LE, Hybrid LE, SE, Hybrid SE, Hybrid XLE, and XSE; and a hatchback in SE and XSE trims.

Corolla’s gasoline-only powertrain is a 169-horsepower four-cylinder engine joined to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Its EPA rating is 32 mpg for city driving and 41 mpg on the highway. (Subtract one mile each for the SE grade.)

The hybrid setup is good for 138 horsepower and EPA ratings of 53 mpg city and 46 mpg highway.

Front-wheel drive is standard on every Corolla and all-wheel drive is available on select models.

Base pricing starts at $22,795 for the LE sedan and tops out at $27,945 with a tie between the XSE and Hybrid XLE sedans. A destination charge of $1,095 is included in these prices.

Potential buyers whose budget favors the LE sedan need not despair. It comes with an impressive list of standard features and has the same infotainment system as the more expensive trims.

My test car was an XSE hatchback. Not the zippiest thing on wheels, but an able-bodied performer on curvy roads, and good at softening the blow of bumps from disheveled patches of pavement. The amazingly slow pace of its fuel consumption seemed consistent with a bottomless gas tank. And it wasn’t even a hybrid.

The HSE hatchback’s cargo area provides 17.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, but my tester bumped that figure up to 23.0 cubic feet thanks to its “enhanced cargo space” feature that replaces the spare tire with a Tire Repair Kit. The cargo area is almost a hidden feature, completely concealed from outside viewing.

A downside of the hatchback’s cargo area is how it hogs passenger space, leaving rear-seat occupiers with little legroom. Not a problem in my case; I need the cargo space.

Corolla’s new infotainment system could be considered easy to use, or not so much, depending on operator skill and patience. I use myself as the lowest common denominator in that regard, so I can’t flat-out call the Corolla system easy to use. But the “Hey, Toyota” voice command is a saving grace.

2023 TOYOTA COROLLA HATCHBACK HSE

Base price, including destination charge: $27,945

Price as driven: $28,870

Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.